THE HAWAIIAN PP:OPLE. 27 



that the first voyages, like many undertaken in more recent times, must have been 

 made in open boats over an unfriendly and uncharted ocean. We kno\¥ also 

 that they survived the journey and found the land habitable when they came. 



To the dim and uncertain period covering the several centuries that fol- 

 lowed, many great primitive achievements have been ascribed. Among them are 

 such ta.sks as the building of walled fish-ponds, the construction of certain great 

 crude temples, the making of irrigation ditches, and the development of a 

 distinct dialect, based of course, on their ancient mother tongue. But at last, 

 after the lapse of centuries, perhaps many centuries, this long period of isola- 

 tion and seclusion ended and conununicatinn was once more resumed with the 

 rest of the Polynesian world. 



Ancient Voyages. 



It is reliably recorded in the traditions of the race, but more especially 

 in those of the Hawaiian people, that after many generations of separation 

 from the outside world, connnunieation was again taken up and many voyages 

 were made to Kahiki — the far-away land to the .south. From this time on the 

 story of the people becomes much more definite and reliable. We not only know 

 that intercourse w-as resumed between Hawaii and the islands of the South 

 Pacific, but the names of several of the navigators and the circumstances, as well 

 as the time when their journeys were made, also incidents of their voyages, 

 have come down to us. In some cases the same mariner is known to have made 

 more than a single journey. Naturally the exploits of the brave na-vigators of 

 the race were made matters of record in the minds of the people and handed 

 down from father to son in numberless songs, stories and traditions. As a mat- 

 ter of fact, thei-e is evidence tn pi-ove that during the twelfth and thirteenth 

 centuries of our Christian calendar there came an era of great unrest through- 

 out the whole of Polynesia and a great number of voyages were made to the 

 remote parts of the region. In fact it is asserted in the tradition of the peo- 

 ple that "the\- visited every place on enrth."" This broad statement seems to 

 indicate that to the Polynesian mind the world was confined to Oceanica, as 

 they appear to have known nothing of the gi-eat continents which surrounded 

 them on every side. At <my rate, there is on record a considerable list of 

 tliese voyages and an e(|ually long list of the phices where they landed, accom- 

 p;niied by incidents of their wanderings. 



Anim.vls and Plants Brought to Hawaii as Bacjgage. 



Our special interest in the natural history of the plants and animils of 

 Hawaii makes this period of Pacific travel of unusual importance. It was at 

 this time that most, if not all, of the useful plants and animals that liad fol- 

 lowed the race in their various wanderings were brought as precious baiigage 

 with them to these islands from over the sea. 



Any one who has experienced the difficulties and disappointments eiicDun- 

 tered in transplanting a young breadfruit tree from one valley to another, will 



